Start the birthday girl’s or birthday boy’s day out right by serving these cute Birthday Party Balloon Pastry Pops! These homemade breakfast pastries are easy to make using store-bought pie crust and can be colored using a variety of colored sugar.
While many birthday parties these days are much more extravagant than those of my childhood, decorating with balloons seems to be ever popular. Growing up, our birthday parties were simple; we played a few games, ate cake and ice cream, and opened presents in our family room which was decorated with brightly colored streamers and air-blown balloons.
The games we played also often involved colorful air-filled latex orbs. In one, each guest placed a balloon behind them on the floor. My mom would give the word to go and we’d all race to see who could sit down and pop their balloon first. The noise coming from our butts was enough to have us rolling on the floor laughing.
Once all of those balloons were popped, we’d grab another one, stick it in between our legs, and race across the room trying to keep it in place. If it popped out, as it would most often do, we’d have to start all over again trying to do better the second time, or even the third. Oh, the simple joys of childhood.
Nowadays, I not only like to decorate my room for parties, I like to decorate the table with festive food. Recently, I created these Birthday Party Balloon Pastry Pops which I think will make a great addition to any tablescape for a party or can be used as a party favor for guests to bring home.
They are super easy to make; store-bought pie dough is cut into balloon shapes using a cookie cutter, is filled with Nutella or jam, decorated with brightly colored sanding sugar, put on a stick, and baked. You can tie a ribbon onto the stick and arrange them on your table, or package them in cellophane bags to give as favors.
Birthday Party Balloon Pastry Pops (makes 12)
Ingredients:
1 Pillsbury Pie Crust (or use homemade crust)
flour for dusting work surface
egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
fillings – Nutella, jam, pie filling, peanut butter
colorful sugar crystals*
*Use as few or as many colors as you’d like. You can buy individual bottles of colored sugar crystals or buy containers with up to 6 different colors. Just be sure to use the large crystal sugar for this recipe. I tried adding food coloring to granulated sugar and decorating these pastries with it but wasn’t happy with the result. The larger crystals look much nicer.
Supplies Needed:
rolling pin/fondant roller
balloon cookie cutter
spoon (or use a disposable pastry bag)
pastry brush
baking sheet lined with parchment paper for ease of cleaning
Instructions:
- Thaw pie crust according to package instructions or make homemade dough according to recipe.
- Dust a cutting board or counter lightly with flour.
- Unroll dough and use a rolling pin to roll it out to about a 13″ round.
- Use the balloon-shaped cookie cutter to cut out 24 balloons, re-rolling dough as needed.
- Brush 6 of the pie dough balloons with egg wash using a pastry brush.
- Spoon (or pipe with a disposable pastry bag) about 2 teaspoons of Nutella, jam, pie filling, or peanut butter in the center of each balloon.
- Stick a lollipop stick into the filling.
- Set a second pie dough balloon on top and press the edges together sealing well.
- Repeat until you have 12 balloon pops.
- Brush egg wash over the top of each of the balloons and sprinkle on colored sugar crystals.
- Move the balloons carefully onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- I was able to pick them up by the lollipop stick and move them.
- If you bake them with a bunch of excess sugar around them, the sugar will clump together and the edges of your balloons will be misshapen.
- Refrigerate balloons for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake chilled balloons for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Once cooled you can tie ribbons onto the sticks and arrange them in a container such as a vase.
- You can alternately package each pastry pop in a cellophane bag, tying the ribbon on the outside of the bag.
- Keep stored in an airtight container for a few days.
OMG! I love these. They are so cute #nutella
What size were the cookie cutters you used? The only balloon shaped cookie cutter I could find is 3.75". That seems like it would be too big for this project.
Hi Erica,
My cutter is about the same size and it was perfect. If it isn't big enough it's hard to get any filling inside the pastry.
Hi..love your blog and the idea of pastry pops.but if u could tell me what kind of lolli stick that u've used?is it the same lolli sticks that we use to make pop cakes?i'm really appreciate if u could answer me ASAP.thanx again for the great idea..by the way i'm ilyani – malaysia
Hi Malaysia, Yes you can use the same lollipop sticks that you use to make cake pops. I used really longs sticks for this project. Here is a link on amazon.com if you'd like to order the long sticks.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BPNK3E/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&o=1&tag=hungryh-20&linkCode=as2&l=as2&a=B004BPNK3E%26%2334%3B%20width%3D%26%2334%3B1%26%2334%3B%20height%3D%26%2334%3B1%26%2334%3B%20border%3D%26%2334%3B0%26%2334%3B%20alt%3D%26%2334%3B%26%2334%3B%20style%3D%26%2334%3Bborder%3Anone%20%21important%3B%20margin%3A0px%20%21important%3B%26%2334%3B%20%26%2362%3B&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004BPNK3E%26%2334%3B%26%2362%3BWilton%20Lollipop%20Sticks%2011.25%26%2334%3B%3C%2Fa%3E%26%2360%3Bimg%20src%3D%26%2334%3Bhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.assoc-amazon.com%2Fe%2Fir%3Ft%3Dhungryh-20
Thanx beth.i'm going to try it rite now
Ilyani- malaysia
These are wonderful!! I love the simple parties we use to have and hope to have them for my daughter still. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday! Have a wonderful week!
Hi Beth! first time visiting your blog…I LOVE IT!! I invite you to my linky party on Tuesdays…my followers would love to check out your ideas!! just beautiful!!
These are ADORABLE! I love them. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
those are just adorable, makes me want to have a party!
These are too cute! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂
I super duper really really love these and I am so glad that you linked them up at Tea Party Tuesday. You have the BESTEST-ESTEST Ideas!
This is a super cute idea for a birthday party! I'm going to have to try and make these. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I was trying to think of idea's for an 8 year olds birthday cake and I think I've found it! I'm baking a cake for my little sister this weekend and this just made my night and saved my head from spinning lol! Love it and I will tag you in my rendition of this recipe when I post it. Thanks!
I'm happy to know I kept your head from spinning. I know what that is like and it happens often when I'm trying to come up with new recipes. I would love to see your rendition of the pastry pops.
Love these! Great way to change up pie pops! Very cute!
How great! I love that they are like little pies, filled with yummy stuff. Plus they are so pretty! I am always astonished at your creativity!
Oh these are so clever and cute!
Those are so fun! Parties are a lot more elaborate than when I was a kid. It always makes me think of an article I read recently where the dad said, When I was a kid all the parties had the same theme: Birthday Party! LOL! These balloons turned out so great, pinning!
I love that! It's true and yet very funny in this day and age.
this made me happy!
Such a creative idea! I'll definitely keep it in mind for next time I'm celebrating.
So pretty. I agree, parties when we were kids were so much simplier. I miss that. These balloons are great. I'm thinking you could fill them with fruit too, mmmm
wow, I super love these!!! I might do something like this Shamrock style for my daughters birthday that is on St Patty's DAy!